DEAS 1182 :2023  
ICS: 65.060  
HS 8432.10.00  
© EAC 2023 – All rights reserved               First Edition 2023  DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Agricultural m achinery  — Disc and m ouldboard  ploughs — Test 
methods   
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 DEAS  1182:2023  
2 
  
 
  
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 DEAS 1182:2023  
Foreword  
Deve lopment of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for harmonizing requirements 
governing quality of products and services in the East African Community. It is envisaged that through 
harmonized standardization, trade barriers that are encountered when goods and services are exchanged 
within the Community will be removed.  
In order to achieve this objective, the Community established an East African Standards Committee mandated 
to develop and issue East African Standards.   
The Committee is composed of representatives of the National Standards Bodies in Partner States, together 
with the representatives from the private sectors and consumer organizations. Draft East African Standards 
are circulated to stakeholders through the National Stand ards Bodies in the Partner States. The comments 
received are discussed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in accordance with the procedures 
of the Community.  
East African Standards are subject to review, to keep pace with technological adva nces. Users of the East 
African Standards are therefore expected to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the standards 
they are implementing .  
DEAS 1182 :2023  was prepared by Technical Committee EASC/TC 042, Production and general engineering . DEAS  1182:2023  
4 
 Agricultural machinery — Disc and mo uldboard ploughs — Test methods  
  
 
1 Scope  
This draft East African s tandard specifies the  test methods and inspection  for animal -drawn and tractor -
operated  disc and mouldboard  ploughs used for tilling land.  
 
 
2  Norma tive references  
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated 
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced 
document (including any amendments ) applies.  
 
ISO 8910, Machinery and equipment for working the soil – Mouldboard plough working elements – 
Vocabulary  
ISO 2859 -1, Sampling procedures for inspection by attributes — Part 1: Sampling schemes indexed by 
acceptance quality limit (AQL) for lot -by-lot inspection  
 
 
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this standard, terms and definitions in  ISO 8910  and the following terms and 
definitions shall apply : 
 
3.1 disc plough  
rolling implement that cuts, lifts, inverts and throws to one side a layer  of soil (furrow slice)  to bury surface 
materials  
 
3.2 four-wheel tractor or riding tractor  
self-propelled, wheeled vehicle having two axles designed to carry, pull or propel agricultural  implements 
and machines  
 
3.3 headland  
unplough ed portion of the fiel d at both ends of the furrow strip initially used for turning the  draft 
animal/tractor and implement  
 
3.4 mouldboard  plough  
sliding implement that cuts, lifts, inverts and throws to one side a layer of soil (furrow slice)  to bury 
surface materials  
 
3.5 side angle (disc angle) angle at which the plane of the cutting edge of the disc is inclined to the 
direction of travel and usually it varies between 42º and 45º (See Figure 1a).  
 
3.6 tilt angle  
angle at which the plane of the cutting edge of the disc is incli ned to the vertical line (see Figure 1b)  
 
 
 DEAS 1182:2023  
 
b. Side view  
 
Figure 1 –Side and tilt angle  
  
3.7 walking agricultural tractor  (two-wheel tractor , hand tractor , pedestrian tractor ) 
self-propelled machine having a single axle designed primarily to pull and p ropel trailed or  mounted 
agricultural implements and machinery  
 
3.8 width of cut – disc plough  
transverse distance between the cutting edges of the end discs at their depth of cut  
 
NOTE : For measuring the width of cut, the tilt angle shall be set at 15 to 25°. For nonadjustable plough  disc blades, 
the tilt angle shall be set at 18 to 20°.  
 
3.9 width of cut – mouldboard  plough  
distance measured from the wing of share to the point of share  
 
 
4 General Conditions for Test and Inspection  
 
4.1 Plough  on test 
The plough  submitted for test shall be sampled in accordance with ISO 2859 -1. 
4.2 Ro le of the  manufacturer/  dealer  
The manufacturer/dealer shall submit to the official testing agency the specifications and  other relevant 
information on the plough . An official  representative of the manufacturer/dealer  shall be appointed to 
conduct minor repairs and adjustments and witness the test. It shall be  the duty of the representative to 
make all decisions on matters of adjustment and preparation  of the implement for test ing. The 
manufacturer/dealer shall abide by the terms and conditions  set forth by the official testing agency.  
 
4.3 Termination of Test  
If the plough fails to penetrate the soil or becomes non -functional during test, the test shall be terminated 
by the res ponsible competent personnel.  
 
4.4 Tractor and draft animals to be used  
4.4.1 The tractor to be used s hall be compatible with the plough  in accordance with the  manufacturer’s 
specification of required power.  
4.4.2 Draft animals shall be in good physical c ondition during the test. The implement’s  draft shall be 
approximately 15% of the animal’s body weight.  
 
 
 
5 Tests and Inspection  
 
Inspection and testing shall be done by the competent personnel.  
 
5.1 Verification of Manufacturer’s Technical Data and Infor mation  DEAS  1182:2023  
6 
 5.1.1 This investigation is carried out to verify that the mechanism and specifications  conform to the 
list of technical data and information submitted by the manufacturer.  
5.1.2 The suggested minimum list of field and laboratory test equipment and materials are given in 
Annex A and the items to be inspected and verified are given in Annex B. 
 
5.2 Field Performance Test  
5.2.1 This is carried out to test the field performance of the plough . 
5.2.2 The test shall be carried out on a dry or wet field as specified by the manufacturer where the 
conditions of the field are to be recorded.  
 
5.2.3 Test Conditions  
5.2.3.1 Size of the Area per Trial  
Plough ing operation shall be done in fields of not less than 250 m2 for animal -drawn, 500 m2 for two -
wheel tractor -operated  and 1,000 m2 for four -wheel tractor -operated  plough s. The plot shall be 
rectangular in shape with sides in the ratio of 2:1 as much as possible.  
 
5.2.3.2 Operational Pattern  
Field capacity and field efficiency are influenced by field operational pattern which is closely related 
to the size and shape of the field and the kind and size of implement. The nonworking time should be 
minimized as much as possible using the recommended field operational patterns as shown in 
Figure 2.  
 
 
 
Figure 2 – Recomm ended  field operational pattern  
 
5.2.3.3 Traveling Speed  
5.2.3.3.1 For four -wheel tractor -operated  plough s, a traveling speed of 5 kph to 6 kph shall be 
maintained during the operation.  
5.2.3.3.2 For two -wheel tractor -operated  plough s, a traveling speed of  3 kph to 4 kph shall be 
maintained during the operation.  
5.2.3.3.3 For animal -drawn plough s, a traveling speed of 2 kph to 4 kph shall be maintained during 
the operation.  
 
5.2.3.4 Depth of Cut  
5.2.3.4.1 The depth of cut shall be set at 1/3 of the disc dia meter for disc plough . 
5.2.3.4.2 The depth of cut for mouldboard  plough  shall be set at the vertical height from the point of 
share to the uppermost part of the shin as shown in Figure 3.  DEAS 1182:2023  
 
Figure 3 – Depth of cut for mouldboard  plough 
5.2.3.5 Test Trials  
The test shall be conducted with at least three test trials.  
 
5.2.3.6 Headland  
Depending on the tractor size, headland shall be at least 3 m in length.  
 
5.2.4 Measurement of Performance Parameters  
5.2.4.1 Field Capacity Determination  
5.2.4.1.1 Working Widt h and Depth  
A depth and width meter as shown in Figure 4 shall be used in measuring the working width and 
depth simultaneously for animal -drawn and tractor -operated  plough s. The working depth and width 
are measured by placing the tip of graduated depth sca le to the plough ed surface (B) and putting a 
pin at point A of width scale. This procedure will be repeated for the succeeding passes and the 
distance between two pins adjacent to each other is the working width and the distance between 
point B and baselin e for reading depth is the working depth. However, plough ed surface is not 
always level depending on the feature of the implement. Therefore, the tip of the depth scale shall be 
placed at relatively same point in each pass.  
 
Figure 4 – Depth and width mea surement  
5.2.4.1.2 Verification of Operating Speed  
Outside the long boundary of the test plot, two poles 20 m apart (A, B) are placed approximately in 
the middle of the test plot. On the opposite side also two poles are placed in similar position, 20 m 
apart (C, D) so that all four poles form corners of a rectangle, parallel to at least one long side of the 
test plot. (see Figure 5) The speed will be calculated from the time required for the tractor to travel 
the distance (20 m) between the assumed line con necting two poles on opposite sides AC and BD. 
The easily visible point of the tractor should be selected for measuring the time. The starting position DEAS  1182:2023  
8 
 shall be at least 2 m to 5 m from poles A and C to stabilize speed before measuring and recording 
data. Tractor shall be operated at rated engine speed (rpm). The same procedure shall be used in 
determining the actual operating speed for two -wheel tractor -operated  and animal -drawn plough s. 
 
Figure 5 – Measurement of operating speed  
5.2.4.3 Soil Hardness  
The soil hardness shall be measured using cone penetrometer.  
 
5.2.4.4 Wheel Slip or Travel Reduction  
The tractor drive wheel is marked with colored tape. For a given distance, the number of revolutions 
of the driving wheels with load (N1) and without load (N0 ) shall be recorded. The formula used in 
calculating wheel slip is shown in Annex E.  
 
5.2.4.5 Fuel Consumption (Optional)  
The tank is filled to full capacity before and after each test trial. The volume of fuel refilled after the 
test is the fuel consumpti on during the test. When filling up the tank, careful attention should be taken 
to keep the tank horizontal and not to leave empty space in the tank.  
 
5.3 Power Requirement Determination  
 
5.3.1 Draft Measurement for Animal -drawn Plough  
5.3.1.1  The plough  shall be operated with the spring or strain -gauge type dynamometer inserted 
between the implement yoke and the hitch of the plough  as shown in Figure 6. There shall be a 
minimum of three passes wherein data shall be gathered. For every 20 -meter distance tra veled by 
the plough , five dynamometer readings shall be obtained.  DEAS 1182:2023  
 
Figure 6 – Draft Measurement for Animal -drawn Plough  
5.3.1.2 The angle the line of pull makes with the horizontal shall be measured using  following methods:  
a. Trigonometric Method  
The ang le of pull with a draft animal shall be calculated based on the measurements  as shown in Figure 7 . 
 
Figure 7 – Angle of Pull Measurement for Animal -drawn Plough  
The pull angle shall be calculated as follows:  
 
where:  H is the distance from the top of the  yoke to the ground, mm  
C is the clearance between the hitch point and the ground, mm  
D is the distance between two vertical lines, one passing through the hitch point and 
one through the top of the yoke, mm  
 
b. Pendulum Method  
This is a method which uses the principle of the pendulum to obtain the horizontal  reference. A 
protractor for measuring the angle shall be placed on the hitch of the  plough . It shall be placed so that it 
can circularly move freely; a weight shall be  suspended from the protractor to maintain the zero of the DEAS  1182:2023  
10 
 protractor in the horizontal  position. The angle shall be determined by taking the angle that the rope 
makes with  the horizontal.  
5.3.1.3 Calculate the draft requirement of the animal -drawn plough  using the following  formula:  
D = P cos θ 
Where :  D is the draft, kg  
P is the pull, kg  
θ is the angle between the line of pull and the horizontal  
 
5.3.2 Draft Measurement for Tractor -operated  Plough  
A strain -gauge type dynamometer is attached to the front of the tractor on which the  implement is  
mounted. Another auxiliary tractor shall pull the implement -mounted tractor  through the dynamometer 
in neutral gear but with the implement in the operating position as  shown in Figure 8 . The draft in the 
measured distance of 20 m as well as the time it ta kes to  traverse it shall be read and recorded. On 
the same field, the draft in the same distance shall  be read and recorded while the implement is lifted 
above the ground. The difference gives the  draft of the implement.  
 
Figure 8 – Draft Measurement for Tractor -operated  plough  
5.3.3 Calculate the power requirement for animal -drawn and tractor -operated  plough s using the  
following formula:  
 
Where :  P is the power requirement of the implement, kW  
D is the draft of the implement, kg  
v is the speed of the tra ctor or draft animal, m/s  
 
5.4 The items to be observed, measured and recorded during the field tests are given in Annex C. 
 
5.5 Soil Analysis (Laboratory Method)  
The soil texture and moisture content of the test area shall be determined by the recommended  methods 
given in Annex D and shall be recorded in Annex C. 
 
 
6 Data Analysis  
 
The formulas to be used during calculations and testing are given in Annex E. 
 
 
 
 DEAS 1182:2023  
7 Test Report  
 
The test report may include the following information in the order given:  
a) Name o f testing agency  
b) Test report number  
c) Title 
d) Summary  
e) Purpose and scope of test  
f) Methods of test  
g) Description and Specifications of the Plough  
h) Results of Field Test  
i) Name and Signature of Test Engineers  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 DEAS  1182:2023  
12 
 Annex A 
(Informative ) 
Suggested minimum list of field and laboratory  test equipment and materials  
Items  Quantity  
A1 Equipment  
A1.1 Field equipment  
A1.1.1 Timers  
            Range: 0 to 60 minutes Accuracy: 1/10  2 
A1.1.2 Cone penetrometer  1 
A1.1.3 Steel tape, 50 m  1 
A1.1.4 Graduated  cylinder, capacity: 1,000 mL  1 
A1.1.5 Width and depth gauge  1 
A1.1.6 Digital video camera  1 
A1.1.7 Four-wheel tractor or riding tractor, matching 
with power requirement of the plough to be tested.   1 
A1.2 Laboratory equipment (soil analysis and ver ification of specifications)  
A1.2.1 Convection oven or soil moisture meter  1 
A1.2.2 Electronic balance , capacity: 1 kg  1 
A1.2.3 Sieve  
            Sizes: 2 mm, 0.05 mm, and 0.002 mm  3 
A1.2.4 Vernier caliper  1 
A2 Materials for field test  
A2.1 Markin g pegs  10 
 
 
 
 WD/TC 035/001/2023  
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  
  
 Annex B 
(Informative ) 
Inspection Sheet for Plo ugh 
Name of Applicant: __________________________________________________________  
Address: _____________________________________________________________  
Telephone No.: _________________________ ______________________________  
Name of Distributor: _________________________________________________________  
Address: _____________________________________________________________  
Name of Manufacturer: _____________________________________________________ __ 
Factory Address: ______________________________________________________  
 
GENERAL INFORMATION  
Brand:_____________________________  Model:_________________________________  
Serial No.: _________________________ Type: _________________________________  
Produ ction date of plough to be tested: ________________________________________  
 
 
Items to be inspected  
 
ITEMS  
 Manufacturer's  
Specification  Verification by  
Testing Agency  
B1 Dimensions and weight    
B1.1 Overall length, mm    
B1.2 Overall width, mm    
B1.3 Overall height, mm    
B1.4 Weight, kg    
B1.5 Weight per disc, kg    
B2 Disc plough    
B2.1 Number of discs    
B2.2 Disc   
B2.3 Brand    
B2.4 Make    
B2.5 Type (plain or notched)    
B2.6 Diameter, mm    
B2.7 Thickness, mm    
B2.8 Concavity, mm    
B2.9 Disc spacing, mm    
B2.10 Side angle, °    
B2.11 Tilt angle, °    
B2.12 Scraper    
B2.12.1 Length, mm    
B2.12.2 Width, mm    
B2.12.2 Thickness, mm    
B2.13 Main frame    
B2.13.1 Dimension, mm    
B2.13.2 Material    
B2.14 Rear furrow wheel    
B2.14.1 Diameter,  mm   
B2.14.2 Thickness, mm    
B3 Mouldboard  plough    
B3.1 Source of power    
B3.1.1 Animal -drawn    WD/TC 042/0007/2023  
2 
 B3.1.2 Walking agricultural tractor - 
operated (or two -wheel tractor – 
operated)    
B3.1.3 Four-wheel tractor - operated 
(or riding tractor – operated)    
B3.2 Number of plough  bottom    
B3.3 Share    
B3.3.1 Type    
B3.3.2 Material    
B3.4 Mouldboard    
B3.4.1 Type    
B3.4.2 Material    
B3.5 Standard    
B3.5.1 Type    
B3.5.2 Location    
B3.5.3 Material    
B3.6 Handle (for animal -drawn)    
B3.6.1 Material    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 WD/TC 042/0007/2023  
 
Annex C 
(Informative ) 
 
Field Performance Test Data Sheet  
Items to be Measured and Inspected  
 
ITEMS  Trials  Average  
1  2  3 
C1 Test Conditions      
C1.1 Condition of field      
C1.1.1 Location      
C1.1.2 Dimensions of field (L x W), m      
C1.1.3 Area, m2     
C1.1.4 Soil type (clay, clay loam, sandy, etc)      
C1.1.5 Moisture content, %      
C1.1.6 Weed density (low, medium, or high)      
C1.1.7 Soil hardness, kg/cm2      
C1.1.8 Last crop planted      
C2 Draft measurement      
C2.1 Draft without load, kN      
C2.2 Draft with load, kN      
C2.3 Difference, kN      
C3 Field performance      
C3.1 Date of test      
C3.2 Type of field operation      
C3.3 Tractor’s gearshift setting      
C3.4 Traveling or operatin g speed, kph      
C3.5 Depth of tillage, mm      
C3.6 Width of tillage, mm      
C3.7 Time lost, min      
C3.7.1 Turning, min      WD/TC 042/0007/2023  
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 C3.7.2 Others (specify), min      
C3.8 Duration of test, min      
C3.9 Actual field capacity, ha/h      
C3.10 Theoretical fiel d capacity, ha/h      
C3.11 Field efficiency, %      
C3.12 Fuel consumption rate, L/h (optional)      
C3.13 Effective fuel consumption rate, L/ha  
(optional)      
C3.14 Method of operation      
C3.15 Percent un plough ed/overlap      
 
C4 Observations  
A minimu m of two persons (responsible competent personnel, the operator and manufacturer’s 
representative (if available)) shall rate the following observations.  
 
ITEMS  Rating*  
1 2 3 4 5 
C4.1 Ease of handling and stability when machine is working       
      
C4.3 Straightness of furrow       
C4.4 Quality of soil inversion       
C4.5 Uniformity of depth       
C4.6 Non-adhesion of soil to disc/ mouldboard       
C4.7 Ease of making adjustments       
C4.8 Durability of soil engaged parts (based on wear of soil -
workin g parts, visible deformation, etc)       
C.4.9 Other observations____________________________  
__________________________________________  
__________________________________________       
 
* 1 – Very Good  
  2 – Good  
  3 – Satisfactory  
  4 – Poor  
  5 – Very P oor 
 
 
 
 WD/TC 042/0007/2023  
 
Annex D 
(Informative)  
 
Soil Analysis (Laboratory Method)  
D1.1 Soil Texture Determination  
D1.1.1 This test is carried out to analyze the soil samples taken during the performance test  to 
determine the soil texture of the test area.  
D1.1.2 Three soi l samples shall be taken from the test area. Each soil sample shall be  weighed and 
recorded.  
D1.1.3 Each soil sample shall then be passed through series of sieves.  
D1.1.4 The type of soil (i.e. sand, silt and clay) that is retained in a particular sieve sh all be  weighed. 
(see Table D1)  
Table D1 – Grain Size for Different Soil Types  
Soil Type  Grain Size mm  Remarks  
Sand  2.0 – 0.05 Passed through the 2 mm sieve but retained 
by the 0.05 mm sieve  
Silt 
 0.05 – 0.002  Passed through the 0.05 mm sieve but 
retaine d by the 0.002 mm sieve  
Clay < 0.002  Passed through the 0.002 mm sieve  
 
D1.1.5 The relative composition of each soil type expressed in percent shall be computed as  follows:  
 
D1.1.6 The relative composition of the sand, silt and clay shall be used to de termine the soil  type using the 
soil texture triangle as shown in Figure E1. 
Example : If you have a soil with 20% clay, 60% silt and 20% sand, it will fall in the  “silt loam” texture class.  WD/TC 042/0007/2023  
6 
 
 
Figure D1 – Soil texture triangle showing relative composition o f texture class . 
D1.2 Soil Moisture Content Determination  
D1.2.1 Oven Method  
D1.2.1.1 This test is carried out to analyze the soil samples taken during the performance test  to 
determine the soil moisture of the test area.  
D1.2.1.2 Three core soil samples i n at least three different locations of test plots shall be  taken 
randomly from the test area. Each soil sample shall be weighed and recorded as initial  weight.  
D1.2.1.3 The samples shall be dried using a convection oven maintained at 105ºC for at least  eight 
hours.  
D1.2.1.4 The oven dried sample shall then be placed in a desiccator. Each soil sample shall  be 
weighed and recorded as oven -dried weight.  
D1.2.1.5 The soil moisture (% dry weight basis) shall be computed as follows:  
 
Where :  Wi is the initial w eight of the soil, kg  
    Wf is the oven -dried (final) weight of the soil, kg  
D1.2.2 The soil moisture content can also be measured using a soil moisture meter.  
 WD/TC 042/0007/2023  
Annex E 
(Informative)  
 
Formulas Used During Calculations and Testing  
E1.1 Estimation of Effect ive Field Capacity  
E1.1.1 Width of cut  
 
where: S is the width of cut, m  
W is the width of plot, m  
n is the number of rounds  
2 is the number of trips per round  
E1.1.2 Total distance traveled  
 
where: D is the total distance traveled, m  
A is the area of the  plot, m2 
L is the length of the plot, m  
E1.1.3 Effective area accomplished  
Ae = wD = 2nLw  
where: Ae is the effective area accomplished, m2 
w is the width of plough , m 
E1.1.3.1 If width of cut is less than the plough ’s width, the operator has  passed over p art of the area 
twice to secure better coverage, therefore:  
Ao = │A e - A│ 
where : Ao is the overlap (area which is plough ed twice), m2 
E1.1.3.2 If the width of cut is greater that the plough ’s width, the  operator has left part of the area 
unplough ed, theref ore: 
Au = A - Ae 
where: Au is the un plough ed area (area missed), m2   
 
 WD/TC 042/0007/2023  
8 
 E1.1.4 Actual field capacity  
 
where: afc is the actual field capacity, ha/h  
t is the time used during the operation, min  
E1.2 Theoretical Field Capacity  
 
where: tfc is the theoretica l field capacity, ha/h  
we is the effective/theoretical width of tillage, m  
v is the speed of operation, m/h  
E1.3 Field Efficiency  
 
where: ε f  is the field efficiency, %  
E1.4 Wheel slip  
 
where: N1 is the number of revolutions of the driving wheels for a  given distance with slip, rpm  
N0 is the number of revolutions of the driving wheels for  the same distance without slip, rpm  
E1.5 Fuel Consu mption Rate  
 
where: F t is the fuel consumption rate, L/h  
V is the volume of fuel consumed, L  
t is the total operating time, h  WD/TC 042/0007/2023  
E1.6 Effective Fuel Consumption Rate  
 
where: F e is the effective fuel consumption rate, L/ha  
V is the volume of fuel consumed,  L 
A e is the effective area covered, m2  
 
 WD/TC 042/0007/2023  
10 
 Bibliography  
1) PAES 132: 2004 , Agricultural Machinery – Disc/ Mouldboard  Plough  – Methods of Test  
2) Agricultural Engineering Handbook, 1961  Soil classification scheme adopted by USDA